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A crowd gathers to watch the pie eating contest sponsored Willamette Valley Pie Company on the final day of the Oregon State Fair on Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, in Salem.
DANIELLE PETERSON / Statesman Journal

Children 11 to 14 years old participate in a pie eating contest sponsored by Willamette Valley Pie Company on the final day of the Oregon State Fair on Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, in Salem.
DANIELLE PETERSON / Statesman Journal

A crowd gathers to watch the pie eating contest sponsored Willamette Valley Pie Company on the final day of the Oregon State Fair on Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, in Salem.
DANIELLE PETERSON / Statesman Journal

The last day of the Oregon State Fair was greeted by warm weather, clear skies and bustling crowds.

The fair, which spanned 11 days and brought together competitions, rides, junk food and exhibits, has yet to tally the numbers, but spokespman Dan Cox said the fair was well on the way to surpassing last year's attendance.

Last year, paid attendance was at 268,500. On Labor Day, with crowds and families trying to soak up one last moment of fun, that could well have been topped.

The fair contained many constants from years past: comedy routines, bluegrass performers, 4-H exhibits, a rodeo and so forth.

However, a continual draw was the cannabis plants on display in a guarded greenhouse, winning entries from the Oregon Cannabis Growers Fair. A steady stream of visitors showed ID to security to tour the greenhouse.

Out at the State Fair Info Booth, longtime volunteer Bruce Palmer said this year more visitors asked for directions to the cannabis exhibit than directions to the restrooms.

"The interest has been overwhelming," said Carolyn Morse, with the Oregon Cannabis Business Council. "We're de-stigmatizing cannabis."

The state fair came with plenty of organizational charities. Sitting outside the pavilion in the shade, several disabled veterans gathered donations for the Paralyzed Veterans of America Oregon chapter. The incentive: A sparkling clean, fresh-painted classic car, plus a gun raffle.

Dave Parker, sitting in a wheelchair near the booth, contemplated past years. Park, a disabled veteran who served 24 years in the Marine Corps, retired from active duty after he broke his back and became paralyzed. Since 1980, he has been volunteering for the organization, and reflected on the attention -- mainly veterans -- funding the 400 members of the group, as they paid for deep sea fishing, hunting, and other outdoor excursions.

"It's a way for us to draw attention to the work," Parker said.

The state fair mixed old and new. With Western booths letting couples and families dress up and take photos, to the ever-present gift booths, some new items emerged: emoji gifts. Several kids toted around poop and smiley face emojis they won from games or bought in the vendor areas.

Andrea Carson, pulled along her son Ethan, 8, who carried a smiley emoji.

"He simply refuses to relinquish my phone," she said. "He found the emoji gift, and was so excited."

Things took a turn for the agricultural, though, winding the corner to the 4-H barns and displays.

Roberta Lundeberg, a program coordinator with Oregon State University, and Lynette Black, the family consumer science and expressive coordinator with Oregon 4-H, both supervised many of the displays.

Dave Parker, right, speaks to visitors. Park, a disabled veteran who served for 24 years in the Marine Corps, has been volunteering with Paralyzed Veterans of America since 1980.(Photo: Junnelle Hogen)

As Monday, and with it the bustling fair, drew to a close, the two greeted visitors to the non-animal related 4-H displays: technology, photography, sewing, gardening, canning and the like.

This year more than 5,000 students displayed projects at the Oregon State Fair, through 4-H. The process was exhaustive: 4-H students submitted their work at county fairs, and those winning the top ribbons moved on to the state fair. The state 4-H office takes in collections from every county the Monday before the fair, and judge all of the submissions on Tuesday before setting up in the back of the fairgrounds: a process that takes over 100 volunteers to facilitate.

This year, Lundeberg and Black reflected on a return to agriculture. After the recession, the 4-H coordinators have seen an increasing number of students try to grow and produce their own goods, whether sewing or canning.

"I think it's slightly economic in that people are making their own foods again, after the downturn of the economy. There was a big healthy living push," Lundeberg said.

They are also seeing an uptick of interest in STREAM: science technology, research engineering, arts and mathematics. In the next year, 4-H coordinators hope to move forward with classes in drone photography and LED outfits, a merge of the largely agricultural-based organization with new technology.

"I think the urban is growing fast, I think faster than other areas. Because of robotics, the science stuff. It isn't just livestock anymore," said Black.

Sitting in the grandstands of the Horse Stadium, enjoying ice cream and kettle corn, Marcy and Kevin Hatford, with their two daughters reflected on the weekend.

The family brought their kids to the fair twice: on the previous Saturday, and on Monday, and said they were sad to say goodbye.

"An event like this is a bonding experience," Kevin Hatford said, hugging his daughter Katelyn, 7. "We get to forget about everything for a day, let go of all the inhibitions, and just be a family."